The ages of advancement in human history have been named on materials and metals we have learnt to mold. Bronze age, Copper age, Iron age so on and so forth. At present we may consider ourselves to be in the Silicon or Lithium age. We have always focused on the sourcing, processing, distribution and use of materials more than post use collection, processing and safe disposal.

The living world around us also uses diverse materials. Since the inception of life in form of the first cell it had developed techniques of both upcycling and downcycling material it used to build living organisms. Even materials like oxygen and carbon dioxide produced in the process of life are upcycled and down cycled. Since we relied on fire to process and produce materials, we are dependent on fire again for downcycling or recycling of materials. And energy as we all know is a precious resource.

We will need to put in the same out of effort and resource for downcycling as we put in for upcycling and use. For us this might be two different things but if we look at the living world around us both the requirements are met using the same process called life.